The Food and Drug Administration is warning the public that most Internet pharmacies are fraudulent, selling drugs that likely are counterfeit and could harm or even kill people.
"We are very concerned about unlicensed and unregulated websites," FDA Director of Compliance Dr. Ilisa Bernstein said.
So the FDA has just launched a national campaign, called BeSafeRx, to alert the public to the danger.
A recent survey by the agency found nearly one in four Internet shoppers has bought prescription drugs online.
Most don't realize that only about 3 percent of online pharmacies are licensed and following the law. The rest likely are selling fake drugs that won't help patients get better and may contain arsenic or other poisons.
"In the US we go through a lot of rigorous steps in order to get drugs approved..when you go online we don't know the types of regulations other countries have," Pharmacist Nancy Mikhail Chipman said.
A new website, at www.FDA.gov/BeSafeRx , shows people how to find safe online pharmacies. Online drugstores that allow you to buy drugs without a prescription from your doctor is one red flag and if you're offered deep discounts, it's probably too good to be true. The FDA is working with other government agencies, doctors and pharmacists to spread the word.
Copyright 2012 WBTV. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved.
